One reform the College may want to consider to its power structure is the implementation of avery ancient academic office -- the Visitor. While principally decorative in nature now in the institutions where it still exists, the Visitor historically was a person who was not a member of a College's faculty, governing body or staff but who had the duty of receiving complaints related to academic matters and reporting upon those complaints to the governing body. The Visitor would also visit the institution at least once a year and deliver a report to the governing body about where things stand.The Visitor generally was unpaid and had no formal powers beyond the power to report. The visitor was generally someone with a great deal of independence and respect of the faculty and governing body, so that any report they did make would carry great moral weight. The ultimate decision about what to do with the reports of the Visitor lay with the governing body -- but the failure to act would require and call for some explanation.
The matters the Visitor would deal with would traditionally be weighty matters -- not discontent about small things -- but serious concerns going to the intergrity of the institution.
In this era of easy e-mail and telephone communication the concept of the Visitor could be easily implemented, subject to finding a suitable candidate. Students and faculty to could be provided with a biography of the person and that person's contact information. They could also be guaranteed confidential accees upon request as a part of the annual visit. How the Visitor wanted to deal with particular issues would then be left up to him or her on a case by case basis.
What the institution of such an office would do is give the students, faculty and other interested persons an independent person to contact to raise any type of major issue. The respect owed to the Visitor would give the Visitor moral weight within the power structure and would allow for the develoment of flexible and practical responses to evolving situations.
Robert Janes
PC Year 8